Roots of the Pacific: Exploring New Zealand and Melanesia

Days 1-3

U.S. / Auckland, New Zealand

Depart the U.S. and arrive in Auckland on Day 3. Transfer to our hotel for check in and lunch, and relax this afternoon before a welcome briefing in the evening to meet your fellow travelers. Meals are on your own, except for lunch and dinner, which are included on Day 3.

Day 4

Auckland / Embark Ship

Have breakfast at the hotel before joining a tour of this vibrant city center. We stop for lunch midday before embarking National Geographic Orion in the late afternoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is an area encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands, boasting an abundance of wildlife and fascinating history. Visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a place of immeasurable cultural, spiritual, and historical significance, and learn of the historical events for which these grounds are remembered.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

At Sea

Spend today exploring New Zealand's East Coast. Your captain and Expedition Leader will decide whether to spend the day at sea, exploring places ashore, or doing a combination of both. Visit the Bridge to study our route on the navigational charts, and attend talks by our experts.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7

Norfolk Island, Australia

Explore Norfolk Island, discovered by Captain Cook in 1774. Covered in dense forests of pines, it was initially valued as a ready source of shipbuilding lumber. Later, it became a British penal colony and then a settlement for Pitcairn Islanders, who themselves were descendants of the mutineers from the famous Bounty. Explore the ruins of the prison and enjoy walking around the main settlement at Burnt Pine. Later, take a long nature hike in Norfolk National Park to look for the endemic tree ferns and land birds. As we depart, look for large groups of seabirds alongside the dramatic island scenery.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

At Sea

As we make our passage to Melanesia, enjoy life on board. Unwind with a massage in the spa or a session in the fitness center, get lost in a book in the library, or simply soak up the views from the rooftop observation deck. Learn about the area from our onboard historians, naturalists, and photographers, and savor delectable dining options.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

Swim or snorkel in the beautiful Oro Natural Pool or walk through a beautiful rainforest to the site of the Cave of Queen Hortense, filled with limestone features and a variety of tropical vegetation. Alternatively, take a hike to the summit of N’Ga Peak to see incredible views over the island and the surrounding sea or join our naturalists for a birding walk through the dense canopy of the forest.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Port Vila / Lelepa, Vanuatu

Clear into Vanuatu at Port Vila. Later, go ashore at Lelepa to visit Vanuatu’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage site, the final residence and burial site of 17th-century Chief Roi Mata. Here, we’ll be welcomed with traditional songs and dance, and we'll enter the impressive Fels Cave.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Ambrym

Ambrym is known for its active volcanoes, black-sand beaches, and mystery and magic. Arrive ashore to witness the striking Rom dance, traditionally a secret event. Involving incredible masks and elaborate outfits that represent spirits, this is a cultural experience specific only to this island.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Espiritu Santo

Captain James Cook named the islands of Vanuatu the New Hebrides because they reminded him of the rugged isles off Scotland’s coast. On the main island of Espiritu Santo, experience one of the best wreck dives in the world: the S.S. President Coolidge, a luxury cruise liner used as a troop carrier during World War II, or experience the Riri Blue Hole, a jewel-blue freshwater source surrounded by jungle.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Lo Island, Torres Group

Arrive to the small village of Lo Island by Zodiac, meandering along a beautiful mangrove lagoon. Meet the lovely villagers and experience some of the local kastom dances. Hike across the island to a cave and look for wildlife along the way. If conditions permit, snorkel along the beautiful fringing reef of the island.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

Fenualoa, Solomon Islands

Visit Fenualoa, which is part of the Reef Islands in the northwestern province of Temotu. On shore we will be greeted by the local islanders and enjoy a tour of their village before snorkeling or swimming in the brilliant blue waters of the reef.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15

Utupua

Located in the Santa Cruz Island group, Utupua is a high volcanic island surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing coral reef. Zodiac to the village of Nimbau for a welcome song and dance performance. Enjoy a walk through the village with the locals and see a display of their handmade fishing canoes. Take a Zodiac ride along the shores, lined with dense mangroves and boasting a variety of wildlife.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 16

Owaraha Island

On the tiny isle of Owaraha (formerly known as Santa Ana), we are greeted with a traditional dance performed by villagers in elaborate costumes, body paint, and masks. Walk across the small island to Nafinotoga to see Spirit Houses containing the skulls and bones of ancient chiefs of the Snake Clan and the Turtle Clan.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 17

Honiara / Disembark Ship / Brisbane, Australia

Our expedition concludes in Honiara, a former U.S. supply depot and a strategic World War II battleground. Tour around the outskirts of the city to see sites well known from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–1943. See the shores of Red Beach and the vital airbase at Henderson Field. Visit the hills above Honiara, where some of the fiercest battles took place. Then transfer to the airport for our flight to Brisbane, where we overnight at a local hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 18

Brisbane / Home

Depart this morning for your flight home, arriving the same day.

Meals Included: Breakfast